One Day in Akihabara
by Caribous
Summary: [The Neglected Shrine 02] A wish made by an elderly Nico haunts her younger self.
1. One Day in Akihabara

**One Day in Akihabara**

As usual, it was a laid-back day at work. This is one of a handful of konbeno still left in the area. We still got a steady stream of old people as customers, mostly obaasans. As our customer base died off, maybe this store would close. Maybe a different one would. Most people, of course, order everything online and get it delivered. It was kind of funny, these vulnerable old ladies with their pensions carried in cash, just like the old days, walking to a store. Meanwhile a healthy young man like me hardly left the house except to go to work. I really didn't get it

The bell rang. I said "Irrashaimase" like a good employee. Some people who were working because of getting in trouble, as was my case, would be sullen or something. But I think being on my best behavior is the key to turning life around, now that I'm no longer immature. I mean, just look around. Mediocrity was the default option, for most of the world, it seemed to me, unless you pulled your head out of your ass and took a look at your life. Like the Tigers, Japan had long ago given up on the notion of being important, especially compared to neighboring China. Of course, the Chinese had their own issues these days.

Anyway, the old lady that came in - I suppose she's the kind of old lady you'd describe as "cute." Her shopping bag said "A Smile is a More Important Gift Than You Think." Her eyes were kind of reddish, so maybe she was albino. I think they used to go blind but modern medicine probably fixed that. She did give me a big smile and, in fact, gave one to the customer who'd been reading the magazines (we carried five or so) but went out as she went in.

She wasn't hunched over like some old women - her posture was pretty good, like she'd been a model or something, even though she must have been too short for that. Something about her red eyes and the smile thing reminded me of someone my parents and grandparents talked about once. Back when there was less specialization, stables of girls (in Japan, mostly girls, anyway) were "discovered" and trained to do singing, dancing, acting, and so on. That's those "idols" your grandparents followed. Anyway, I guess she was a little scandalous over something - drugs or adultery, maybe. Or maybe she was the one that married another girl in her idol group. None of which is a big deal nowadays.

Before I had to leave high school, I had to do a report on the Ainu, how there aren't many full-blooded Ainu left - probably none at all - and how they keep their culture and traditions alive, and so on. It's kind of like that with idols. People still keep it going, but the world has moved on.

She looked at her list and adjusted her shopping bag. Then she turned to me, at the counter, and gave a warm smile. "Hello, young man, I hope you are having a good day."

My generation really isn't into smiling. But I gave it a shot. "It's a fine day, okyakusama, so naturally I am enjoying it, thank you for asking. Can I help you with anything?"

"Ara,' she said, "so polite. Well, I need ingredients for a pasta and I think a couple of things were moved around?"

In fact, we had moved the vegetable bins to the back of the shop. I showed her where they were, and on an impulse, I asked: "Forgive the rudeness, okyakusama, but are you a person that was an entertainer, perhaps a while ago?"

She was surprised obviously, but not shocked. "A while, indeed …," she said. "It has been so long. But now I am just Nishikino-obaasan." She said that name with real pride. I think the Nishikino family owns a couple of hospitals in this area, so maybe that makes them famous with old people. They were once pretty powerful, according to my parents, but the Nishikino matriarch and patriarch's only daughter didn't take over the main hospital, and some of their wealth dissipated. I wish remembering school topics was as easy as all the stories my parents and grandparents tell me. Maybe I should have a career doing oral history? Anyway, if this was a genuine Nishikino, maybe it was the daughter herself? I think my parents said she was an idol or something like it.

Since I didn't say anything, she went on. "In my day, I was the number one idol in the universe, young man, and if you disagreed, you had only to ask … me!" She laughed. "Now, I am going to show you just how silly we were in those days."

She was still very athletic, surprisingly. Suddenly she crouched a bit and made little devil hooks with her hands. "Nico Nico-nii!" Shifting her hands into a heart shape: "Anata no Heart ni Nico Nico-nii!" One hand went to her head: "Egao todokeru Yazawa Nico Nico!" and with the hooks again: "Nico-nii te oboeteru Love Nico!" - at that point, she bowed and her smile was more like a smirk, which is disconcerting in an old lady.

Suddenly I flashed on a memory. I don't think I was in primary school yet. Watching a video that my parents had - I remembered this exact act. "Ah! I remember this from a video when I was small. So you're the idol that married another idol in her group?" That was pretty rude. I was surprised at myself, especially since I had pledged to myself I would be cool and composed from now on.

But she wasn't offended. "Yep. That's why I am a Nishikino, now. I guess we stirred up quite a fuss at the time. Young man, doesn't it seem silly now?" She didn't look me in the eye, as she was putting her note in her pocket and opening her bag. But then she did look up.

I agreed it was very silly, and said my parents had supported her. She gave me one of her warm smiles. Really, a cute old lady who spread cheer, that was her. "Oh, I better get going if I want to ride back before sunset."

She came back fairly quickly, and luckily, we'd had tomatoes on the vine for sale, and they looked very nice.

As I was ringing her modest purchases up, when it came to the tomatoes she said " **When I saw these, I knew I had to get them, or Maki wouldn't …** " and then, for no reason I could see, she froze. I hoped she was alright. After quite a while, she finished .. " **wouldn't forgive me. Oh, Maki-chan.** " and suddenly she had tears in her eyes. But then she forced a smile, and sort of squared herself. "How much does it come to?"

After she paid, she turned to me. "Young man, I think you've seen my shopping bag, isn't it so?" I agreed I had. "Well, what is on that bag is all I have to pass on in terms of wisdom. I learned it from my father, and it was a hard lesson indeed. It's hard, even for me, to always remember it. Sometimes you have to force yourself to remember the precious, amazing gift you were given on a long, wonderful road, instead of dwelling on what got taken away at the end."

Her real smile came back with that, and she said "Thank you for talking with an old lady. I hope your day is wonderful, young man." she adjusted her shopping bag, and went towards the door.

"Ara," she said, talking to herself. "I suppose I did buy them for her, after all. It's not like I dislike them." And with that she left the konbeno.

This job, I think it'll be okay. The customers are interesting, and I think I kind of get, finally, why they shop like they do. It's not as efficient as shopping online, but it has its attractions.


	2. Come to Bed

_Nishikino Nico meant what she told the boy at the konbeno, with all her heart. She'd been blessed beyond any merit in having many decades of life and love with Maki-chan. But if you asked her what she'd give to have Maki back, and keep her forever? Anything. She hurried home past the overgrown shrine that always gave her a shuddery feeling. Memories flooded her like a freezing wind. She made to go over and sit down and rest, but everything went black ..._

 **Come to Bed**

 **"Hey, Nico .. you going to be up much later?"**

"Not sure, Maki. You should go ahead and sleep." Nico had come awake suddenly from zoning out. She had the strangest feeling, something she couldn't put into words.

 **"How do I do that without my little angel?"**

Maki had been kind of old-fashioned lately. Flowery. Romantic. When she wasn't sleeping all day, that is. It was hard enough coordinating when your girlfriend has a night shift that includes the hospital morgue. But lately she seemed to prefer spending money to running errands with Nico. She'd been making up for it by being intensively passionate in the couple of hours they had together each day.

Nico didn't mind giving Maki time to warm up under the covers. Maki had always had cold feet but lately it seemed worse; Was she getting poor circulation from something? That, and how tired and pale she seemed to be lately, were cause for concern. Nico had been stressing over many things lately, it seemed. She'd even been scared when Honoka and Rin mentioned that people in the area were disappearing lately. From the park, from cemeteries. One even went missing from the basement of a hospital.

She was also a little worried over Maki's behavior lately. A week ago, she'd innocently made the remark that she'd never ever forget their Love Live victory.

 **"You say things like never and ever and forever pretty easily, Nico."**

What the heck was THIS about?

 **"But do you mean it?"**

"Umm, mean what, exactly, Maki-chan?" Nico said, bringing her tomato juice and tsukemono. She noticed she sipped the juice a little and ignored the tsukemono.

 **"Forever. You say you'll love me forever, you want to be with me forever, bla-bla. But you don't mean "forever" forever."**

Nico remembered she felt cold all over.

"Umm what have I done or said to make you say that, Maki-chan? There'll never be anyone else, you know that."

 **"there you go again,"** Maki had said, a little sourly. **"I'd be happy if I thought that was true."**

Nico had walked over and taken Maki's cold hands in hers. Come to think of it, she'd noticed Maki's circulation was worse then, so it had been going on for a while, hadn't it?

"Maki," she'd said. "We are for always. I DO mean it," and looked right in her eyes.

What she saw in Maki's eyes had sort of chilled her. Disbelief, uncertainty, hope ... and almost bottomless sadness. Then the expression went away and Maki's old expression came back.

The sense of unease had started around then. Maki had disappeared suddenly for a few days without warning, and been closed mouthed about what had happened when she returned. "Just some hospital business," she'd said. The unease was sort of jelling inside. Maki'd been different since then. Strange.

What Maki's sudden obsession with "forever" had to do with it, Nico wasn't sure. But there was something there.

Tonight, Nico was feeling like two people in one body. One part of her was upset about what seemed to be a rift in her relationship with Maki. Another part was weighing a decision of some sort that she didn't want to put her finger on.

"Do I ever want to be without her?" she asked herself out loud. She remembered the feeling after her daydream, whatever that was. A feeling of loss. Loss of Maki.

People had often admired Nico's determination, the pure way she went after what was most important to her. In truth, she'd always had more than one thing to focus on. For a while it was her idol career and her family. Then her family and her idol hoarding habit. Then her family, her new friends, and her idol career. Then all of the above plus a girlfriend.

But if she was honest, even her family, that she would have died to protect, wasn't as pure an obsession as her love for Maki. It was the most important thing she'd ever had.

She decided to phone her mother. No reason she wanted to focus on.

"Hi, mama. No, I just wanted to call you. Ummm I wanted to hear your voice. No, nothing in particular is wrong, just .. I don't know, I've been having ... kind of bad dreams or premonitions or something and I wanted to touch base with you. Mama I don't know if we ever sat down and said stuff like this openly. Umm .. you've always been my inspiration. What you did keeping us going after papa died. When things seem bad, I remember you soldiering on without any complaint. Us kids are luckier than a lot of kids that had two parents. You taught me how to love other people and how to be a good woman."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean to scare you, mama. Like I said, it's just ... nerves I guess. Just talking to you makes me feel a lot better. Umm ... are the kids there? I kind of wanted to touch base with them, too. I always love you mama."

"Cocoro? Hey, are the kids there, too? You're doing an amazing job with them, sis. I am so proud of you all the time. Ummm sorry, I guess I am being sappy and scaring you guys. I told mama but I was feeling uneasy and wanted to hear your voices. I know I'm being silly. I always love you, I am always so proud of you. I think you'll knock em dead at Otonokizaka and I am happy we could be part of giving you that. If Cocoa and Cotarou want to talk to me, that's fine."

"Hey Cocoa and Cotarou are you behaving for mama and Cocoro? That's good. You are both wonderful kids, and it was a privilege to be your big sister. Cocoa, you always stay the sweet angel you are now, promise Nico. Cotarou, you are my brave little brother, but don't scare mama, okay?"

She talked with them a while longer. Her mother didn't sound reassured, and neither did Cocoro. But there were other phone calls she felt like making.

All of the µ's girls were a little confused at how sappy Nico was being. Umi suspected she was drunk, and Nico had to say she wasn't a couple of times. Putting embarrassment aside, she made sure to tell each of them how much she valued them. What they'd meant to her, a lonely failure hiding out in the room at the end of the hall for years. The girl with the leaflets that everyone ignored and felt sorry for in equal parts.

And then came the call she'd put off all night.

"Nico! whatever it is you are going to do, don't do it!" were the first words Nico heard when she got through.

Nozomi didn't even give Nico time to say anything.

"I suddenly felt like I had to do a reading on you. It's the worst I've ever seen. The Fool, Death, the Devil, the Tower, the Three, Nine and Ten of Swords ..."

Nico didn't pretend, to herself or Nozomi, that she didn't understand, any more.

"It's too late, Nozomi."

"Nico, the cards say it's not too late. Whatever's going on, you can still escape what's in front of you."

"Outside? Sure. I just leave. I just let everything go. I give in to fear, and common sense, and I just go. I go, right now. But inside? It really is too late. I just wanted to thank you. You were my first friend where I had the most exciting time of my life. You've been the one who always understands me. It's no surprise you're still in tune with me."

"Nico. What will we be? Anything?"

"I don't know, Nozomi. I don't."

"And not even knowing - anything - your mind is made up? Your heart is set on doing something terrible?"

"I think it was too late years ago. I can't live without her, Nozomi."

Then:

"Goodbye, Nozomi." There wasn't any point in going on. It would just make both of them sad.

"Goodbye, Nico." Too late. She could hear Nozomi crying. She pressed the hang-up button gently.

Was there really anything else she needed to do before going in that bedroom? Nothing that meant anything. Nothing that couldn't wait forever.

She had a feeling that Maki was still awake. Still waiting for her. Sensing her.

Maki confirmed it as Nico came closer to the door.

 **"Come to bed."**

For one last time, Nico responded in the spirit of their old days of squabbling and bantering.

"Keep the bed warm for me, Maki," she said pointedly. A bit sarcastically.

Nico took down her hair. She was already in her nightgown. It had a low neckline, not that she'd ever had anything to show off in it. Though Maki had always said she had a pretty neck and shoulder.

After a long while, Maki's response had the same amount of irony and perhaps humor that Nico's had.

 **"I'll do my best.**


	3. Note on the former Neglected Shrine

**Note: This story collection has mutated a lot, but the stories in it have been spun off to their own individual story threads:**

I don't foresee needing other notes like this in the future.

!. **Coffeeshop Date** is its own story. It has two of the other chapters from The Neglected Shrine: Tales of Nico, Maki and the Supernatural. It is currently **In-Progress** and will be rather long.

 **Guest** (and other Guest):

Glad you liked it

 **Wait** :

I am happy i could surprise you.

 **chipmunksmtw** :

Thank you, I appreciate your remarks.

 **Meow1412** :

Thanks, that makes me happy to read.

 **xv22shasokais** :

Sorry, but now you know how Maki and Cocoro feel. :)

 **Tanuki-pyon** :

The basic explanation is that Nico died, and Maki's idol girlfriend named Yazawa is actually Cocoro, the 2nd child in the Yazawa family. But that's not the end of the story.

 **All of the above** : **Coffeeshop Dat** e in its new slot on fanfiction (or AO3) is where you will find the story you reviewed and its (so far) two continuations.

2\. **One Day in Akihabara** is also its own story. The story " **Come to Bed** " is the continuation, and this story is **Completed**.

 **Tanuki-pyon** :

That is where you will find the other story you reviewed. It has one more chapter.

3. **The Eyes of Rin** (the part I was working on when I decided to split this up) inherited this story slot. It is currently **In-progress** and will be rather long.


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